the terrible shooting in the elementary school in connecticut just this month. aurora, colorado, earlier this year. how do you know whether that is something that is going to mark this year, one way or another? >> well, one way to look at it is does it really lead to political change? other horrible catastrophes and school shootings really did not particularly. this one seems to have really struck people from the president on down in a way that we may in the next number of months see action on things like mental health, public safety, tv violence, maybe, and certainly gun control that might not have happened before. so presumably that was a turning point. >> woodruff: richard, to have mass shootings, mass killings, be a mark of a turning point in american history? >> well, we have become almost inured to it, which is a horrible thing to even contemplate. and then what happened in newtown, well, it just took it to another whole level. you've seen reflected already in some early polling data. this is something that really seems to be where the ice is breaking. tha